Flying machine



Jan. 5 192e.l

5 Sheets-Sheet l l (jwuentoc I Jan. 5 1926. v 1,568,205

l F. s. BLlss FLYING MACHIyE Filed May 20, 1925 3 Sheets-sheet 2 YN JM me/nto@ ammi,

Jan. 5 1926.

iin Il,

1,568,205 F. s. BLlss FLYING MACHI NE eets-Sheet 5 w" ks I' -I'Il I l I! gnva'nfoz @Hannut Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

uNrraoV STAT-as FRANK S. 313138, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

nime moi-imm.

Application illed lay-20, 1925. Serial No. 31,654.

To all whom it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. BLISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, inthe county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful `Im rovements in Flying Machines, of whic the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to aeronautics and the rimary ob]ect of the invention is to provi e a flying machine so constructed as to 've a maximum amount of safety when in ight and to permit the same to land on both water and ground. p Another object of the invention is to provide a combined land vehicle, motor boat and aeroplane, whereby the same can be used fsuccessfully under all existing conditions. I A further object of the invention is the poovision of a' novel vehicle including a at body on which is su ported a cabin or fuselage, the cabin or usela e in turn carrying the plane or wings, t e tractol` pro eller, elevator, rudder and other parts of t e aeroplane.

A further object of this invention 'is the rovision of novel side paddle wheels for acili'tati the driving of the vehicle both )n land an in the air, said side paddle wheels facilitating the manipulation of the vehicle, such asthe changin 'of the course thereof from the right or le t.

A further object of the invention is the rovision of novel tanks carriedby the uselage adjacent to the central portion thereof for receiving a lighter than air gas, such as helium or the like for facilitating the buoyancy of the vehicle in the, air.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel normally inactive par'a chutes associated with the fuselage, which can be set in operation, in case of accidents or the like to facilitate the landing of the machine, when the same is in air, the parachutes also forming means for permitting the substantial direct descension of the machine under normal conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined land vehicle, motorl boat and aeroplane of the above character,

which will be durable and eilicient in use, one that will be simple andl easy to manufacture and yone which can be placed' upon the niarket at a reasonablecost.

With' these land other objects in view, the

invention consists in the novel construction, Y

arrangement'and formation of arts, as will be hereinafter more specifica y described, claimed', and illustrated in the accompanyindrawings, in which drawings;

-igure 1 is a front elevation of the improved machine,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the saine,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the improved device. s

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A enerally indicates the im roved vehicle w ich comprises a' hull 5, an a cabin or fuselage 6 thereon. The hull 5 is built and shaped to permit the device to be used as a boat, and the forward end thereof is provided with an arcuate leading edge 7 to facilitate the landing of the vehicle on water and facilitate the travel of the vehicle in water; The hull 5 and the cabin '6 is so arranged. as to ive the passengers and the operators of t e machine a maximum amount of comfort and the operating partsA of the machine are preferably central] located in order to insure the proper balancing of the machine.` The motor provided for driving the machine can be of any preferred character, and has not been disclosed in the drawings and the motor can be disposed directly in the cabin and hull 5 in any desired manner.. A propeller. shaft 8 is provided for the rear end of the hull and this propeller shaft carries any preferred type of screw water propeller 9 'l and a boat rudder 10 is arranged in rear of the propeller in the ordinary way. The controls for the rudder are preferably located within the cabin. The extreme upper end of the cabin or fuselage 6 supports the outwardly extending plane or. Wings 11 and 12 which can be of the desired sizev and shape, to force the body in the .air. The outer longitudinal'edges of the planes 11 and 12 pivotally su port ailerons 13 and 14, the controls of which are also arranged within the lcabin or fuselage 6, The ailerons 13 and 14 are utilized for maintaining the body straight in the air and it is obvious that the same can be used in banking the lanes when turning and the like. Pivotal y carried by the rear end of the plane is the air rudder 15 and the c ontrol Vof the rudder is valso preferably arranged within the cabin or fuselage, as are the controls of a boat.

the stabilizer 16y which is arranged below thef rudder and supported for movement on a horizontal pivot. The forward end of the fuselage or cabin 6 supports any preferred type of tractor screw 17 which is mounted upon the drive shaft 18 for the aeroplane. This shaft is driven from the engine in any desired way.

Arranged upon the upper end of the cabin or fuselage and extending longitudinally `therefrom are tanks 19 and 2O which 'can be filled with any preferred kind of lighter than air gas, suchl as helium, to add to the buoyancy of the entire machine.

lVhen in the air the machine is 'operated similar to other types of aeroplanes with fhe exception that the sides of the`fuselage support paddle wheels 21 which are mounted upon transversely extending shafts 22. These paddle wheels 21 can also be used when the aeroplane is in flight to facilitate the travel thereof and can be used for helping toI turn the aeroplane. This can be accomplished by stopping the paddle wheels on one side, while the paddle wheels are operating on the other side. It is preferred to operate the shafts 22 in such a manner that' the paddle wheels can be rotated in either direction. These wheels are also of such size as to permit the lsame to be used for propelling the machine, when the same is being used as It is to be also noted that one of the paddle wheels is arranged at the extreme front end of the machine and that the hull is cut away on each side-to receive said paddle wheels.

The lighter than air gas receiving tanks 19 and 2O are so arranged as to form pockets 23 therebetween and'these pockets are adapted to receive collapsible parachutes 24 Y and 25 which are disposed adjacent to the front and rear of the machine. By referring` to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings it can be seen that the parachutes are arranged above the plane and the same areA provided with automatic releasing devices, so as to permit the same to be brought into use when necessary or advisable.

lThus in case of accidents, while the Inachine is in iiight, the parachutes can be released, which will permit the safe landing of the entire machine. If preferred, the parachutes can be used under normal conditions to perl'nit the landing of the aeroplane in a substantial vertical line.

A landing gear is carried by the hull 5 of the boat and this landing gear consists of front wheels 2G and rear wheels 27. These wheels extend below the hull and the front wheel 26 can be used for steering purposes, while the rear wheels 27 can be used as drive wheels and can be operated from the motor ofthe machine. Thus the wheels 26 and 27 permit the device to be used as a land vehicle when necessary.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. A vehicle comprising a boat shaped hull, a propeller and rudder associated with the hull, a fuselage supported by the upper end of the hull, an air propeller carried by the forward end of thefuselage, an air rudder and elevator carried by the rear end of the fuselage, and releasable parachutes supported by the extreme upper end of the fuselage.

2. A vehicle comprising a boat shaped hull, landing and ground wheels supported by the hull, a propeller and rudder associated with the hull, a fuselage for the hull, an air propeller, rudderand elevator for the fuselage, longitudinally extending lighter than air gasreceiving tank carried by the upper end of the fuselage defining pockets therebetween, releasable parachutes .arranged in said pockets when in an inoperative position and secured to said fuselage.

`3i A Vehicle comprising a boat shaped hull,l a water propeller and rudder carried by the rear end of the hull, landing and ground wheels secured to the hull arranged to project below the lower surface thereof, the forward end of the hull being provided withvan arcuate leading edge, a fuselage on said hull, an air propeller, rudder and elevator for the fuselage, transversely extending shafts carried by the hull of the fuselage extending beyond the opposite sides thereof, paddle wheels secured to said shafts, certain of the paddlewheels being arranged at the cxtreme front-of the fuselage, longitudinally extending lighter than air gas receiving tanks connected with the fuselage, laterally extending planes connected with said tanks, ailerons for said ture.

FRANK S. BLISS. 

